Father John Misty is quite the interesting choice for an alias. As an ex member of Fleet Foxes, Misty’s first and only album made more than a big splash. Before I dive into the album, I think a question that was on everyone’s mind when the news of this album was coming out was… who would ever leave Fleet Foxes?! It is a ridiculously talented and successful band, one of the frontrunners and super groups of today’s indie rock world. But hold your horses, there was indeed method to Misty’s madness. A daring move like this can ONLY work if an artist’s new music is just as good, if not better, than what the person leaves behind. Ladies and gents, Misty’s new body of work is most definitely, a piece of pure gold.
The new pseudonym has don Josh Tillman well. “Dignity has no place in creativity. Self Preservation of ones dignity is toxic to the creative pursuit,” says the vocalist in a recent interview. The now LA based singer song writer has created Fear Fun, his latest, and only album under the assumed name, and possibly his most candid piece of work yet. His love for absolutely breathtaking harmonies from his earlier days is certainly not lost here. It is clear the Baltimore native did not want to be pigeon holed into his old reputation with the Foxes. There are little to none fire walls between the listener and the creator in this album.
His music video for a top favorite of mine, “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” is brilliantly filmed. When I first watched it, I felt like it captured the mood of the beat along with the lyrics faultlessly. It’s a heavy video… wrought with hard drugs, Hollywood parties, overdosing, and a whirlwind of emotions. But, as frighteningly honest as the footage can be at times, you can’t help but want to rock out along side Aubrey Plaza as she falls down the rabbit hole of arousing destruction.
“Nancy From Now On” is a whole different story. Its slower pace and sad tonality makes for a lyrically depressing song. “Forgive me how it was, a place under the sun, before the devil made me run.” From the looks of the raunchy video, one would come to the conclusion that the song is about using any method possible to forget things from your past. But without the video, it could be interpreted in many ways. “How was I to know, that milk and honey flow, just a couple states below.” The singer’s move from Seattle to Laurel Canyon could be the subject of this song, with all the changes that went along with the new life.
The outro of “This is Sally Hatchet” has become my new favorite thing to blast on high volume and dance to these days. It is a euphoric and mind blowing creation of sounds; one that the music video also portrays well.
Even the crazy album artwork is almost too stimulating. But when your aware of Tillman’s sense of humor, it starts to make a bit more sense. He wants to be everywhere, and the “all seeing eye” montage’d everywhere is the perfect symbol for that. Its clear Misty has a restless soul, and perhaps that is why Tillman needed to use such an interesting stage name. No more hiding. Misty is Tillman’s true psyche for all the world to see. I invite everyone to take the bold leap Josh did and revel in the world of Father John Misty.